Blackouts
by AliasCWN
Summary: Hitch suffers from blackouts that cause memory loss. What he can't remember could hurt him.
1. Chapter 1

**Blackouts**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

Jack Moffitt pushed the door opened and stepped inside. The smoke filled air of the bar hit him full in the face, different from outside, but nearly as hot. Loud music and even louder voices assaulted his ears. He paused just inside the door to allow his eyes to adjust after the bright light of the desert sun. Men lined the bar several deep while others sat around the tables carrying on loud conversations, their voices raised to be heard over the neighboring din.

Moffitt was bumped from behind as more soldiers tried to push their way into the already crowded room from the street. The sergeant glanced toward the bar where soldiers waited not so patiently for their turn to order a drink. The faces he sought weren't there so he began to systematically search the rest of the room. He found them seated at a table by themselves near the center of the room

Mark Hitchcock was draped over the table oblivious to the noise and activity around him. Tully was leaning over his buddy's shoulder talking into his ear. As Moffitt started to make his way across the room Tully tried to get Hitch to his feet. The blonde's head rolled limply from side to side as Tully pulled on his arm. Moffitt pushed past several soldiers who were standing next to a table. They turned to glare at the sergeant who simply nodded, mumbled an apology, and kept going.

"Is everything all right Tully?" Moffitt's voice rang out over the other voices in the immediate area. Many of the men at the surrounding tables turned to see what had prompted the question.

Tully nodded, giving the gawkers a look that told them to mind their own business. "He's okay Doc, or he will be."

"How much did he have to drink?" The sergeant asked in the same loud tone.

"Only two Doc, honest."

Moffitt's eyebrows rose at the answer. "Then why did he pass out?"

Tully shrugged. "I don't know Doc. Sometimes he just does that." He looked down at his buddy and added. "It's happened twice before. Both times have been since he got that head injury the other week." Tully continued as Moffitt glanced down at his teammate with a worried frown. "He sort of blacks out." Tully explained. "When he wakes up he doesn't remember things."

"What kinds of things?"

"He just forgets what he did for a while before it happens. So far it hasn't caused any problems. I just take him back to our room and put him to bed."

"Does Troy know?"

Tully suddenly looked worried. "I've been telling Sarge that Hitch just had too much to drink. Hitch doesn't want to tell him because he thinks Sarge will take him off of the team. He's afraid he might lose his spot."

"Tully." Moffitt met the eyes of his driver. "Troy will have to be told. It could be dangerous to take Hitch out in this condition."

Tully looked down at the unconscious blond. "Hitch will be awfully mad if we tell. He's really worried about how Sarge will react."

"He has to be told Tully."

Tully nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right, but Hitch won't be happy. I don't know how he's going to react."

Moffitt smiled gently. "Those parts we ordered for the jeeps are in. Why don't you help me get Hitch back to our quarters; I'll stay with him while you go work on the jeeps. When Hitch wakes up I'll break the news to him. You won't be there so he won't get mad at you."

"But he might be mad at you." Tully warned again. "I kind of feel guilty leaving you to face him alone. He hasn't been himself lately Doc."

"I think I'll live even if he does get mad at me." Moffitt assured him with a smile. "I'm sure he'll see the wisdom of the decision and forgive me eventually."

"I don't know Doc. If Sarge cuts him from the team over this he may blame you." Tully shook his head and thought about staying with the two men.

"Troy may cut him from the team temporarily but as soon as he is healthy again Troy will take him back. He won't want to break in a new member if he doesn't have to. Hitch carries his own weight." Moffitt patted Tully's arm. "Now, help me get him back to our room."

Between the two of them they got Hitch to his feet and half carried half dragged him toward the door. They had to pause frequently to let the curious bystanders move out of their way.

"Maybe you should get him to a doctor." One of the bystanders suggested. "He may have something seriously wrong with him."

"Good idea." Moffitt agreed. "Why don't you see if someone can run over to the hospital and ask them to send a medic to our room? You know where it is, don't you?"

"I do." Another of the bystanders declared. "I'm on my way out so I'll run by the hospital for you." He looked directly at Tully. "You say he's done this before?"

"Twice." Tully answered with a nod.

"I'll let the medic know." The guy answered.

"Thank you." Moffitt smiled. "Now I think we should get Hitch back to our room.

The crowd parted and watched as Hitch was taken from the building. Tully and Moffitt were puffing by the time they reached their building.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stick around? I could stay until the medic arrives."

"No Tully, you'd better get started on those jeeps. Troy wants them ready as soon as possible and it doesn't look as if Hitch is going to be able to help you."

Tully nodded and helped get Hitch up the stairs to their room. A small group of soldiers stood at the other end of the hall watching their awkward progress. Tully shifted under Hitch's weight to reach forward and open the door. They lowered his limp body onto the bed and Moffitt leaned down to lift his feet. Putting his feet on the bed, Moffitt checked his eyes, lifting the eyelids gently.

"I can handle him from here." Moffitt nodded his thanks to Tully. "Troy and I picked up the parts and left them in the rear of the jeeps. Are you going to need any help with them?"

"No Doc, I can do it alone." The private looked down at his buddy before he turned to leave. "Send someone to get me if you need help with Hitch."

"I'll be fine Tully. Hitch will understand once I explain my concerns. He would never put the rest of us in danger on purpose."

"I know Doc, but he hasn't been himself lately. That head wound may have been worse than we thought." Tully looked toward the door where the other soldiers were still standing in the hall. They were watching him and Moffitt with interest. "Do you need something?"

The men glanced at each other and shook their heads. "We were just wondering if you needed any help." One of them answered.

"There is a medic on the way." Moffitt assured them. "We'll be fine."

The men nodded and moved a little further down the hall. Moffitt watched as they entered a room on the other side of the passage.

"I'll see you later Doc, you know where to find me if you need me." Tully pulled the door shut behind him on his way to the motor pool.

Moffitt sat down to wait for Hitch to show signs of waking up.

The men down the hall were in the middle of a poker game when they heard loud voices in what sounded like an argument coming from the other room. Pausing, they listened a moment and recognized Moffitt's voice but they couldn't make out any of the words. Curious, they looked at one another and rose as one to go investigate. Stepping into the hall they turned toward the other room. Before they could take more than a few steps the other door was yanked open.

Moffitt pulled the door to his room open and held onto the door for support. His free hand was pressing against his midsection where blood seeped through his fingers. Staggering into the doorway he faced the surprised poker players.

"Get a doctor!" The sergeant sagged to his knees.

One of the men turned and ran for the stairs. The others rushed forward to help the injured man.

"What happened?"

"Hitch got angry with me. I tried to calm him down but he pulled his knife. I managed to knock him out but not before he stabbed me." Moffitt took a shaky breath and nodded toward a bloody knife on the floor. "He's been acting strange ever since he got a head injury on our last assignment. This wasn't his fault, I upset him."

One of the men put pressure on Moffitt's midsection while two other went to stand over Hitch who was now lying on the floor near a pool of blood. There was a commotion on the stairs and a doctor and several MPs pushed their way through the gathering crowd. The doctor knelt next to the injured sergeant while the MPs started collecting evidence.

An ambulance arrived and orderlies brought a stretcher into the room. The witnesses were moved back so that they were out of the way. Everything got quiet as the sergeant was carried from the room.

The MPs were questioning the witnesses when Hitch groaned and opened his eyes. Noticing the MPs, he tried to get to his feet. He put a hand in front of his face and froze. Blood was drying where it had dripped between his fingers and run down his wrist. Shocked, he looked at the MPs in confusion.

"Have you ever seen this before?" One of the MPs held up a bloody knife in a plastic bag.

"It's mine." Hitch answered as he recognized the weapon. "What happened?"

The MP exchanged a look with his partner. "Don't you remember?"

"No." Hitch admitted with a shake of his head. He looked around the room at all of the faces staring at him. "Tell me."

"You stabbed your sergeant."

"No!" Hitch exclaimed. "I would never hurt Sarge or Doc! Whoever told you that is lying."

The MP looked down at Hitch's bloody hand. "Your sergeant told witnesses that you got angry and stabbed him. Are you saying that he lied?" The MP watched Hitch's face closely.

Hitch looked around wildly. "Why would he say that? Which one of my sergeants was here?" Hitch tried to rise but his foot slipped in the pool of blood on the floor. His eyes got huge and he stared at it in confusion. He lifted his hand and stared at it again. "Will he be all right?" He asked in a small voice.

The MP noted the change in tone as Hitch asked the question. There were no more denials, just a stunned acceptance.

"I don't know." The MP admitted. "It looked pretty bad."

Hitch nodded mutely. He kept his eyes on the floor as the MP slipped a pair of metal cuffs over his wrists.

There was a knock on the door frame and everyone turned to look at the new arrival. Another MP leaned into the room and looked at the MP kneeling next to Hitch. "The sergeant died before they could get him into surgery." The MP announced.

"No!" Hitch's anguished cry was the only sound in the room.

The lead MP nodded and turned back to his prisoner. "You need to come with me Private. My men can finish talking to the witnesses."

Hitch nodded mutely and allowed the MPs to help him to his feet. He kept his eyes down and didn't look at anyone as he was led from the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Blackout**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Mark Hitchcock rose from his cot as the guard stopped in front of his cell door.

Turning to the man behind him, the guard nodded toward Hitch. "You have five minutes sergeant. I'll be at the end of the hall. Don't try to approach the cell and don't try to pass him anything."

Troy nodded his understanding and the guard retreated to the end of the hall. The sergeant turned to face the cell. "Are you all right Hitch?" Troy studied the pale face looking back at him. His driver looked thinner than he had just days earlier. Standing in his cell in nothing but his boxers, he looked like he wasn't eating enough.

"I'm okay Sarge." Hitch mumbled miserably.

"Where are your clothes?"

Hitch shrugged and shifted his bare feet. "They thought I was suicidal and they were afraid I would hang myself with some of my clothing. They took my belt and my shoelaces first. Then someone suggested that I might make a rope by braiding strips of cloth from my shirt, so they took that too."

"What about your pants? They didn't think you would tear them into strips did they?"

Hitch shrugged again. "I sort of said that I could tie one leg around the bars on the window and tie the other one around my neck if I was serious about killing myself." Hitch tried to smile but Troy looked worried.

"Why Hitch?"

"I didn't mean it Sarge." Hitch answered in a voice so low that Troy had to strain to hear it. "I admit, I considered it, but I wasn't really going to do it. I was just trying to point out how silly they were being."

"You aren't still considering it are you?"

"No." Hitch shook his head. "That would be too easy."

His driver's toneless reply didn't reassure Troy. "Hitch!"

"I killed Moffitt Sarge. I don't remember doing it but Moffitt said I did. How could I do that Sarge?"

Troy took a step toward the cells. The MP at the end of the hall cleared his throat. Troy stopped and returned to his original position. "It wasn't your fault Hitch. You haven't been yourself lately. The doctors are going to say it was the head injury, just wait and see."

"That won't bring Moffitt back." The blond shook his head sadly. "It doesn't change a thing."

"It explains it Hitch! It was an accident!"

"An accident? How did I pull my knife and stab Doc by accident? I don't know why you and Tully don't hate me." Hitch's voice dropped lower. "Even I hate me."

"Don't Hitch." Troy protested. "None of this was your fault. You've got to believe that! We'll work this out!"

"How Sarge?" Hitch's voice broke.

"We'll find a way. I promise Hitch, I'll find a way to make this all go away."

"They won't let me see him. I asked but they said no." Hitch kept talking as if he hadn't heard a thing Troy was saying.

Troy shook his head. "The British sent a detail to collect his body. Because of his father's position with the war department they are sending his body back to London."

"I just wanted to see him one last time. I wanted to say good-bye." Hitch looked up and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I'm sorry Sarge. I never meant to hurt Doc. I don't know what happened. I don't remember any of it."

"What do you remember Hitch?"

The blond shrugged. "I guess the last thing I remember clearly is having lunch with you guys in the mess hall earlier in the day. They said I went to the bar with Tully but I don't remember that at all."

Troy nodded. "Tully said you've blacked out several times over the last couple of weeks. He said you forget what happens for hours before you black out. I talked to the doctors and they think your recent head injury might be to blame."

"I was afraid to tell you about it. I thought you would take me off the team." Hitch admitted.

"I would have," Troy replied, "for your own good."

"I wish I'd told you." Hitch answered. "Maybe if I had Doc would still be alive."

"You don't know that." Troy argued.

"They told me that that's what we argued about that night."

"Hitch."

"I killed him Sarge. I can live with the accusations. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just say it wasn't me, but I can't. What I can't handle is knowing that I'm guilty. They'll probably hang me, and I deserve it. Doc was my friend. How could I have hurt him?"

Troy looked at the younger man and ground his teeth in frustration. There was nothing he could say that would change the young man's mind. Not knowing what else to do, he changed the subject. "Tully has been reassigned to the motor pool until headquarters decides what they want to do with us. They have me delivering messages to the neighboring bases. Colonel Quint says he'll be sending us out to do some recon every once in a while but he wants us to stay close until this is cleared up."

"So I ruined it for you and Tully too?"

"We'll be okay Hitch."

"They're splitting you up because of me."

"They haven't made any final decisions yet." Troy argued.

"But they will." Hitch insisted tonelessly.

"Maybe, sooner or later." Troy shrugged.

"Time's up sergeant." The guard called from the other end of the hall.

The guard's call ended their conversation. Troy looked at the guard and nodded shortly.

"Take care of yourself Hitch."

"Yeah."

"I mean it! You need to eat. The guards say you leave most of your meals on your tray."

The blond shrugged. "I'm not really hungry. It's not like I'm getting a lot of exercise in here."

"Promise me that you'll eat."

"Sergeant!"

Troy glared at the guard impatiently. Turning back to the cell he repeated his order. "Eat Hitch! I have enough on my mind without worrying about you starving yourself. I don't need you getting sick on top of everything else."

Hitch hung his head and shrugged. "Okay Sarge."

"Sergeant!"

Troy turned toward the guard, the frown on his face displaying his concern. He looked back to see Hitch dropping listlessly onto his bunk. He was still frowning when he met Tully outside of the mess hall.

"How is he?"

"Depressed." Troy replied. "They think he's suicidal so they took everything he could use to kill himself."

"Like what?" Tully asked, shifting the matchstick in his mouth.

"Everything." Troy growled as he remembered how lost and alone his driver had looked standing in his cell in his boxers. "They have him stripped down to his underwear. They won't even let him have a blanket because they're afraid he might tear it into strips and try to hang himself."

"Hitch wouldn't do that!"

"I wish I was so sure." Troy responded thoughtfully.

"Sarge?"

"He thinks we should hate him. He doesn't understand why we don't because he hates himself. He admitted that he thought about killing himself."

Tully caught his breath.

"He says he won't do it." Troy hurried to explain. "I just don't know what to do or say to make it better." Troy shook his head sadly. "He looked so alone Tully."

"He is alone Sarge." Tully responded. "The whole base is talking about him."

"He's not alone, he has us." Troy argued.

"Yeah." Tully drawled angrily. "But they won't let us in to see him. The Colonel said he'd only be able to make this one exception for you. You won't be able to talk to Hitch again either."

"We'll find a way Tully."

"Will Hitch be all right until then?"

"He'll have to be." Troy answered. "How are things going at the motor pool?"

Tully frowned at the change of topic. "Things are pretty quiet." He finally answered. "Most of the guys there have been there for quite a while. One of the sergeants is fairly new but he takes care of the tanks mostly."

"How are you getting along with them?"

"Fine," Tully answered, "at least with the guys who work with me on the trucks, jeeps and staff cars. I'm not around the guys who work on the tanks that much."

"The sergeant that works on the tanks?"

"I haven't had much to do with him at all. He keeps pretty much to himself."

"What about his crew?"

"They keep busy. I haven't had any reason to mix with them." Tully answered. "Sarge, what are we going to do about Hitch?"

Troy stopped walking and sighed. "I have orders to report to Captain Boggs this afternoon, maybe he can do something."

"Do you think he's going to send you to one of the other bases?" Tully stopped too and turned to face Troy.

"Maybe. He said he was going to use me as a courier. If he does I don't think I will be gone long."

"Be careful Sarge." Tully warned. "That last attack on us felt kind of personal."

Troy nodded absently. "I'll be careful. I'm going to have to leave the base sooner or later; I may as well do it now."

"I'll be glad when this is all over."

Troy looked at Tully in surprise. "Be careful what you wish for. This could all end badly."

Tully nodded solemnly and chewed on the matchstick in his mouth.

"Let's go eat so I can go see what Captain Boggs wants." The sergeant suggested, moving forward again. "While I'm there I'm going to see what he can do for Hitch."


	3. Chapter 3

**Blackouts**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"Sergeant Troy is here." The Captain's aide knocked on his door and announced Troy. He stepped out of the way and nodded at Troy to go in.

"How are things going?" Captain Boggs asked as he returned the sergeant's salute. He motioned the sergeant to take a seat as he settled into his own chair.

Troy dropped heavily into the chair. The captain raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic lack of grace. "Tully is settled into the routine at the motor pool. I spent most of the day just walking around the base listening to everyone talking about Hitch and Moffitt."

The captain nodded. "That's good. Pettigrew is a good fit for the motor pool." The captain studied the sergeant before him. "Did the Colonel allow you in to see Hitchcock?"

"Yeah, he did." Troy growled. "They took all of his clothes Captain! He doesn't even have a blanket for the cold nights!"

"I heard." The Captain acknowledged. "They had their reasons Sergeant. I'm told that they thought he was suicidal and they didn't want to take any chances."

"They even took his boots so he's standing barefoot on the cold floor."

"That was for the protection of the guards." The Captain explained. Troy looked unconvinced. There was a flash of anger in the officer's eyes as he continued. He quickly controlled his reaction. He looked embarrassed as he continued. "According to my sources he threw his boot at a guard. The guard was telling him in detail what happens when a man hangs."

"Can you blame him then Captain?" Troy asked angrily.

"I'm told that Private Hitchcock didn't react at all to that description." The Captain continued. "He only attacked the guard when the man began to describe in graphic detail how Sergeant Moffitt bled out. Private Hitchcock caught him off guard and knocked him down with a boot to the head. Luckily the other guards were able to pull him clear before Private Hitchcock could reach him."

"He deserved it!" Troy snarled. "What gave him the right….?"

Captain Boggs waved a hand to stop the sergeant. "Nothing gave him the right to say those things. The incident has been placed on his permanent record, and trust me; he won't get within shouting distance of Hitchcock again.

Troy growled angrily.

"I know sergeant."

"Isn't there anything else we can do?"

The captain shook his head. "I have someone watching him 24/7. We're doing everything we can at the moment. Let's just get through this and do our jobs."

Troy growled again but he nodded his head reluctantly. "So what do you want me to do?"

The captain sorted through the papers on is desk and retrieved a thick envelope. He handed it across the desk to the sergeant. "I need you to deliver this to Captain Beauregard. There should be a response so wait for it."

Troy took the packet and nodded.

"I'm sorry sergeant, but we're all doing the best we can."

"Yes sir."

"I'll be waiting for that response from Captain Beauregard. I expect you to be back before dark."

"Yes sir."

Troy headed straight for the motor pool. As he approached Tully looked up and saw him. He stopped next to the jeep and waited for Tully to join him. Tully ambled over casually and nodded.

"Everything okay Sarge?"

"Fine." Troy answered shortly.

Tully looked up sharply at the tone.

Troy shook his head and sighed. "It's fine Tully. Captain Boggs wants me to take a run over to see Captain Beauregard and deliver a packet. I have to wait for an answer but I should be back before dark."

Tully hesitated, waiting for Troy to say more. Finally he reached up and pulled the matchstick from his mouth. Looking at the matchstick instead of looking at the sergeant, he asked the question that was foremost on his mind. "Did he say anything about Hitch?" Tully kept his head down as he waited for an answer.

The sergeant sighed again. "He said he's doing everything he can to keep Hitch safe. There is only so much he can do at this point. He said his hands are tied."

Tully nodded solemnly. "Then I guess I'll see you when you get back."

"Yeah." Troy slid behind the wheel and started the jeep. Tully gave a brief wave and headed back to the truck he had been working on when Troy arrived.

The jeep accelerated quickly once it cleared the gate. The sergeant kept to the well-traveled road between the two bases. The sun beat down on him as he pushed the little vehicle. The lack of obstacles allowed him to let his mind wander a bit as he drove. Still, he was aware of the dangers around him; including the danger of being stranded by an overheated engine. When he found a bit of shade next to the road he pulled over to allow the engine to cool. Sweat poured into his eyes, stinging and turning them red. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and adjusted his field glasses. The desert around him was fairly flat, giving him a long range of vision. He kept a constant watch for any movement as he waited for the motor to cool. Since he was alone it made it even more important to stay alert. He found himself missing the others.

The rest of the journey was every bit as uneventful. The gate of the other base was a welcome sight. Troy handed over his papers and was passed through the gate in record time. He drove straight to Captain Beauregard's office. Once inside the cooler building he relaxed as he waited for the captain's aide to announce his arrival.

"Good afternoon sergeant. It's been a while." Captain Beauregard walked out to meet him in the hall. "It's good to see you again."

"You too Captain." Troy responded with his first genuine smile in days.

"Come on in sergeant and you can fill me in on what brings you here." The captain motioned him into his office.

Troy reached into his shirt and pulled the packet free. Handing it to the captain, he took the offered seat.

Captain Beauregard took the packet and moved around behind his desk. "I'll take a look at this and then we can get it out of the way. I haven't eaten yet and I doubt that you had time to heat a meal on your way here. Would you like to join me for supper?"

"I appreciate it Sir." Troy agreed.

"Good, we'll finish up here and head for the mess hall. While we are eating you can catch me up on what's happening. I'm sort of out of the loop way out here."

Troy jerked his head toward the packet. "Captain Boggs is expecting a reply. He told me to wait for it."

Beauregard smiled as he looked up from reading the first page. "That works out perfectly Sergeant. After we've eaten we can come back here and I'll give you my response."

"That works for me Captain, we both have to eat."

"Good. Let me finish reading this and you can answer any questions I may have on this material. After that you can give me the gossip. I heard a rumor that your unit ran into a bit of trouble recently."

"Yes sir." Troy confirmed. "A couple of weeks ago."

It took nearly an hour for Troy to answer all of the questions to the captain's satisfaction. There were several points that they went over time an time again. "I just need to be sure that I am completely clear on these points." The officer explained after going over one of the points yet again.

"I understand Captain, it could be important. There are a lot of elements to this operation."

"Lives depend on it Sergeant."

"Yes sir, mine included, so believe me, I'll go over this as often as you feel necessary." Troy assured him.

Beauregard laughed, then sighed. "I think I have it now Sergeant. Let's eat; if I think of anything else we can go over it when we get back."

"Captain Boggs wants me back before dark." Troy warned.

The officer laughed again. "I'll try to keep my curiosity limited to the matter at hand then. I have to admit though, the more time I spend in the desert the more I find I have to learn. Perhaps I can pick your brain some other time."

"Anytime we're in the area Captain." Troy promised.

"I'll hold you to that." Beauregard nodded.

After a relaxing meal the two men returned to the captain's office so Captain Beauregard could draft a response for Captain Boggs.

"Don't be a stranger." The captain called as Troy slid behind the wheel of the jeep.

"I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again before too long Captain." Troy responded. "You take care of yourself."

"You too Sergeant, even I know the desert can be a dangerous place for someone alone."

Troy nodded an acknowledgement and turned the jeep around. With a final wave he headed for his own base.

The sun was past its zenith but still heating the air to just over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Not wanting to be forced to stop and cool the engine, Troy took it easy on the return trip. He glanced toward the sun and noticed that it was already dipping behind the distant mountain. The base was only another five or six miles so Troy was confident that he would make it before dark. Turning back to the road, he slammed his foot on the brakes. The jeep slid to a stop as Troy reached for a machine gun.

The two Arabs sitting their horses in the road in front of him raised their empty hands in greeting.

Troy relaxed slightly without taking his eyes off of the Arabs.

One of the Arabs slid from his horse and approached the jeep. Troy climbed out of his seat and waited next to it. As a simple precaution he kept the body of the first Arab between him and the second Arab. He placed his machine gun on the seat within easy reach.

The Arab approached without hesitation. When he stopped in front of the sergeant he raised his right hand and touched his forehead. With a slight bow he greeted the American.

Troy returned the greeting with a bow that allowed him to keep the Arab's hands in his sight.

The Arab reached into the folds of his clothing and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Keeping a straight face, he handed it to the sergeant. Without waiting for Troy to read it, he turned and walked back to his horse.

Troy watched as the two men turned their horses and rode away. He watched until they disappeared into the hills without a backward glance. Scanning his surroundings, Troy made sure that no one had witnessed the exchange. The desert all around seemed empty but the sergeant kept a sharp eye out nonetheless. Even the two horsemen had managed to vanish from his sight.

Troy unfolded the note and read it quickly. He refolded it and pulled his lighter from his pocket. Touching the flame to the note, he held it gingerly until it was fully engulfed by the fire. Once it was totally consumed he let it drop to the desert floor and ground it into the sand with his boot. Climbing back into the jeep he took the time to make a large circle around the meeting point. The only tracks that he found were made by the two Arabs coming and going. Satisfied that their meeting hadn't been witnessed, he drove on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Blackouts**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

Tully was still working in the motor pool when Troy returned. He wandered over as Troy shut off the engine.

"How's Captain Beauregard?"

"Fine."

Tully raised his eyebrows at the answer.

"We had a good visit." Troy explained. "He's invited us back any time. He also sent a reply for Captain Boggs and the captain is waiting for it."

"You headed over there now to deliver it?"

"Yeah."

"You might want to warn him that there are rumors flying around about some unconfirmed activities taking place in the motor pool late at night. I haven't heard anything specific but there are a lot of guesses." Tully kept his voice low as he leaned against the fender of the jeep.

Troy nodded. "Anything else?"

"That sergeant, you know, the one who works on the tanks; he came over and tried to talk me into joining his crew."

Troy looked up sharply. "What did you tell him?"

Tully shrugged. "I don't know much about tanks. I'm more comfortable working on trucks, jeeps and staff cars. He doesn't have the pull to force me to change crews."

The sergeant bit his lower lip. "You could always learn about tanks."

Tully frowned. "I'd rather not."

"I'll talk to the captain. Meet me back in our quarters later."

"I'm having a beer with some of the other mechanics after work."

"Find me when you're done then." Troy ordered.

The private nodded as Troy climbed out of the jeep and stretched his tired muscles.

"Want me to take care of the jeep for you?"

Troy smiled. "Thanks Tully, I appreciate it. I don't know when I'll need it again." Troy paused. "I guess I'm just so used to letting you and Hitch take care of them that I never even thought about it." The sergeant frowned as he thought about his driver.

"I talked to an MP a little bit ago. He says Hitch is holding up okay."

Troy looked unconvinced but he didn't want to worry Tully. "That's good to hear. Thanks Tully."

Tully nodded and reached for the gas can to fill the tank and refill the can.

The sergeant crossed the base toward the captain's office. The warning alarm caught him off guard. He stepped out of the street as soldiers rushed past on their way to their assigned duty stations to repel the expected attack. What looked like utter confusion was actually organized chaos. Within minutes the base was locked down and soldiers were in positions on strategic points of the perimeter. Troy stepped back onto the street as officers checked the defenses and confirmed that everyone was in place. To Troy it looked as if the troops knew what they were doing. He entered the building housing the captain's office as the alarm went silent.

"Come in sergeant." Captain Boggs called as Troy entered the hall.

"Are we under attack Sir?"

"No." The captain replied. "We were scheduled for a drill so I ran it today. Tomorrow my officers will meet to go over the results." The officer waved Troy to a seat. "Did you bring me anything?"

Troy nodded. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the packet that Captain Beauregard had sent for Captain Boggs.

"Did he have any problems with the information I sent him?"

"No sir." Troy shook his head. "He asked a lot of questions to clarify things but I think we got it all squared away."

"Good, the captain's a good officer. Anything else I should know?"

"Tully says he's been hearing all sorts of wild rumors about some kind of suspicious activity that is supposed to be taking place in the motor pool after hours."

"I'll take care of that, anything else?"

"A couple of Arabs stopped me on my way back. They gave me a note."

"Where is it?" The captain held out his hand.

"I burned it." Troy admitted. "I didn't want to take a chance on getting caught with it."

The officer dropped his hand and nodded. "Okay, that seems like a reasonable precaution. You do remember what was in that note?"

Troy grinned and quoted the note word for word. "After they got closer I recognized the messenger. He was one of the local Arabs. I've seen him around the base a few times."

"They've been tracking some rumors for us." The captain confirmed. "There has been some unrest in the Arab quarter lately and we're trying to track down the instigators. It's been difficult as you can imagine."

"Anything serious?"

"Not yet and we're working hard to keep it that way. Which brings me to the next subject. I want you and Pettigrew to run a recon around the base. Don't go out too far, I want you close in case you run into trouble."

"The desert looked pretty empty out there today." Troy informed him.

"And you of all people should know how deceiving the desert can be Troy. You and your guys have schooled enough Germans on that very subject." The captain reminded him sternly.

"What are we looking for out there?"

"Anything that looks suspicious."

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning will be soon enough."

"We'll leave at first light." Troy agreed.

"Get some rest sergeant; you've been driving all day." The captain suggested.

"I'm meeting Tully later but it shouldn't be too late."

"Report to me when you get back tomorrow."

Troy saluted and left the office. He was thinking about the various reports he had given the Captain as he walked. Word had been given that the alarm was only a test and men were returning to whatever they had been doing earlier. Troy saw officers asking questions and writing on clipboards as they made their rounds of the different stations. On more than one occasion he spotted Arabs standing in the shadows watching the activities. He took a closer look but he didn't recognize any of them. Walking on he began to pay more attention to the people he passed. Along the way he noticed what he considered weaknesses in the base defenses.

Troy delivered more messages to more bases over the next several days. He wasn't stopped by the Arabs again but he kept an eye out for them just the same. Sometimes he returned with responses to the messages, sometimes there wasn't one. He and Tully did a few recon trips around the base.

Tully made friends with the tank repair crews despite his reluctance to change crews. They gave him a crash course on working on the metal monsters. He found that he picked it up quickly but he still preferred working on the jeeps. The tank crews ribbed him about it every chance they got, telling him he was working with the big boys now. He took the teasing with good humor, the only time the haunted look seemed to leave his eyes.

There was still no change in the situation with Hitch. The rumors going around seemed to favor the disbanding of the Rat Patrol. Tully kept his opinions on the matter to himself. The captain had not allowed either of them to see him after Troy's earlier visit.

Then Troy was returning from another packet delivery when the Arabs stopped him again. He took the message directly to Captain Boggs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Blackouts**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

The first of the mortar shells threw dirt into the air but did no damage. At the first hint of an attack the troops on the base ran for their assigned battle positions. The alarm began to blare as the base swarmed with activity. Out on the desert German tanks and halftracks began to appear on the horizon. Under the cover of the mortars the heavy armored vehicles moved on the base. They stopped well out of range of the small arms fire to batter the base with shells.

The defenders surprised them by opening fire with anti-aircraft guns that had been readjusted to shoot at the ground bound targets. With their longer range and heavy shells they proved to be devastating to the light tanks that had expected an easy victory. The anti-aircraft guns forced the German tanks to retreat to a safer distance. Then the American mortars opened fire on the charging German troops.

Troy ran at the fist blare of the alarm. His duty station was in the back of his jeep. He was pulling the dust cover when Tully arrived. Tully quickly moved the jeep away from the buildings to give them room to move when Troy gave the order.

"Are we going out Sarge?" Tully called as the shells continued to fall around them.

"Not yet." Troy yelled back. "Let the anti-aircraft guns soften them up a bit first."

"How did they get so close without being spotted?"

"They didn't." Troy answered as he listened to the battle. "The Arabs reported them moving into position the night before last. They've been keeping an eye on them in case they moved before we were ready. They moved at night and covered their tracks during the day."

"They seem to be targeting certain areas more than others." Tully noticed as he listened to the shells landing.

Troy grinned down at the private. "They had spies watching for our weak spots during that drill the other day. Once they reported back the Germans planned their assault around those weak spots."

"We knew about that?"

"Yeah." Troy confirmed. "But what they don't know is that we knew about it. The captain had a review done and he made changes to correct the problems. If the Germans think it's going to be easy they are in for a surprise."

Tully shifted the matchstick in his mouth and watched the activity around them. "You know they aren't going to move in until they soften up our defenses with those tanks and halftracks."

"They're going to try." Troy responded. "The captain said he has a few other surprises for them."

"I worked on a few of them." Tully grinned. "We spent a lot of nights unpacking crates marked as truck parts. Wait until the Germans find out they were all packed with mortars and shells. We loaded them into newly repaired trucks and distributed them around the base every morning."

"They'll help but what we need then are good mortar crews."

"We got them too. They came in disguised as regular troops. They've been stationed on different parts of the base so they are close when we need them."

Troy laughed as Tully grinned. A new sound reached their ears as they waited. "Sounds like they are hitting the areas where we don't have any machine guns on the walls." Troy noted. "They probably know where every one of those guns is located."

"At least they think they do." Tully agreed.

Troy twisted to face Tully. "What do you mean?"

"While you were running around in the jeep I was helping to mount old guns in place of the good ones in certain areas. We hid the good guns in the top floor of the buildings where they wouldn't be spotted. All they have to do is open a shutter and open fire. They are mounted to the floor ready to go."

Troy glanced up as one of the big guns opened fire.

"Not all of them are decoys." Tully explained. "We left enough of the good ones to hold that section of the wall."

Troy laughed. "And the Arabs sent out word that the Germans were on the move and all of the bases around here have tanks and armor headed this way. They should be here any time now."

"Really?" Tully looked surprised. "You never told me that."

"I had orders to keep it to myself." Troy answered. "Everything has been departmentalized to avoid leaks. The only person I was allowed to share the information with was Captain Boggs. He's been keeping Colonel Quint in the loop. They didn't want me anywhere near the Colonel in case someone got suspicious. I haven't spoken to Colonel Quint since Hitch was arrested."

"I guess that makes sense." Tully agreed. "I wasn't allowed to tell you about the guns or mortars either. I wonder what else HQ has planned?"

The sergeant shrugged. "I guess we'll find out but something tells me that things aren't going to go anything like the Germans planned."

A shell landed nearby and both men ducked automatically.

"The Germans think they managed to sabotage our tanks too." Tully added.

"How?"

"They had someone break into supply and damage some of the repair parts. We complained loudly about the damaged parts but we didn't mention that we jerry-rigged the repairs. They aren't perfect but they work. That sergeant I told you about is a real whiz with repairs. He even taught me a few things that I might be able to use on the jeeps."

"Are you sure about him?"

Tully nodded. "I think he's okay. He took the sabotage as a personal attack on his reputation. I checked his work and it looked good."

Small arms fire began to add its din to the whine of the incoming shells.

"Time to go." Troy called as he climbed behind the gun.

Tully started the jeep and they joined the battle to defend the base.

The jeep dodged incoming shells as it raced for the attacking Germans. The Rat Patrol's best advantage was their ability to fire at anything while the enemy had to be careful not to hit their own men. Bullets pinged off the frame of the fast little vehicle as Troy returned fire. They avoided the tanks circling the base and instead concentrated on the more vulnerable halftracks and foot soldiers.

One of the tanks spun its turret and tried to catch the jeep's occupants unaware. Tully saw the move and quickly dodged between two of the halftracks. The shell from the tank missed the jeep and instead hit one of the halftracks sending it flying into the air to land on its side. The engine caught fire and the gas tank exploded sending shrapnel at the soldiers trying to get clear.

The gunner in the second halftrack screamed in anger and opened fire at the jeep as it sped away. The bullets missed their intended mark and hit some German soldiers following behind the halftracks for cover. The soldiers starting screaming as the bullets tore into their bodies. The gunner, realizing his mistake, ceased fire.

Troy twisted around and stood on the seat next to Tully to shoot behind them. The gunner in the halftrack tried to turn his weapon to follow them but he died in mid-turn. As he fell his gun began to fire again and the bullets tore into the soldiers who had survived the first volley. One of his fellow soldiers tried to pry his fingers loose only to fall victim to Troy's uncanny accuracy. The halftrack lurched to a halt as the driver caught a bullet in the head and slumped over the steering wheel. The last surviving member of the crew jumped over the side to the ground to avoid the same fate.

Tully was already ducking fire from another direction. A bullet hit his helmet with a loud ping causing Troy to turn and look his way. Another bullet hit the seat next to him with a puff of dust. Tully twisted the wheel and hunted for cover.

"You okay Tully?"

"I'm okay Sarge." Tully called over his shoulder. "I may need a few aspirin when this is over though."

Troy grinned in relief. "I'll make sure you get them; you've earned them."

Tully kept the jeep darting in and out of the enemy lines for another ten minutes as the fighting got hotter. After several more close calls Troy opted to try another approach.

"Let's try to draw some of the halftracks closer to the base within range of the mortars. Maybe if they're chasing us they won't catch on." Troy yelled over the clatter of the 50 while keeping their opponents occupied.

Tully nodded, bit down on his matchstick, and took off toward the base. He hoped the Germans would think they were abandoning the battle. As soon as they got in the clear he began to weave, dodging the ever increasing stream of bullets aimed their way.

That plan worked exactly twice. After the second time the Germans caught on to what they were doing and refused to give chase. Troy called a halt to that method and had Tully draw back to take a breather. They made a quick circle of the German perimeter to look for more opportunities to cause havoc. Troy was about to tell Tully to rejoin the fight when one of the tanks suddenly burst into flames.

Tully twisted to see what had happened and caught sight of the American armor moving in behind the German forces. He waved to get Troy's attention and pointed toward the new arrivals.

Troy looked to where Tully pointed and grinned. "Get us out of here; we don't want to get caught in the middle."

Tully grinned and spun the wheel to leave the heavily armored vehicles to fight it out. They found a hill that gave them a clear view of the battle and parked. As they watched the new arrivals slowly out-maneuvered the attacking German forces. A few of the German tanks made a run for it only to be chased by their American counterparts. Everywhere they looked there were burning or abandoned tanks and halftracks. German bodies littered the desert, some crying out in pain, others forever silenced. Small bands of enemy soldiers were throwing their weapons to the ground and surrendering. Troy and Tully looked out over the scene and, not for the first time, wondered what was so important about the endless miles of sand that warranted such destruction.

"I guess we should go back and see if there is anything we can do to help. It looks as if the tanks have everything under control here." With one last look at the carnage Troy slumped against the 50 and motioned Tully to take them back to the base.

The scene closer to the base was not much better. There were more German bodies piled up outside of the wall.

"It looks like they tried to push through one of our weak spots." Troy observed as they drove past.

"This was one of the spots we fortified with those extra mortars." Tully drawled.

"It looks like it worked."

"Sure looks like they fell for it all right." Tully agreed.

As the jeep approached the gate a group of Arab horsemen raced to meet them. One of the riders reined in his horse and dropped to the ground. Handing his reins to another rider, he walked over to Troy and Tully with a smile.

"It looks like you got my message."

"Yeah, we got them." Troy confirmed. "It was a lot of help, thanks."

"No problem old man, glad to be of service." The rider pulled the cloth from his head and nodded to Tully. "How are you doing Tully?"

"Never better Doc. Maybe now we can get back to doing things the normal way."

Moffitt laughed. "I don't know if you can honestly call anything we do normal, but I know what you mean." Turning back to the Arabs Moffitt thanked them for their help in their native language. After promising to visit soon he waved as they collected his horse and rode off in a cloud of dust.

Moffitt slid into the seat next to Tully and looked back at Troy. "Shall we go report to Captain Boggs?"

"Yeah." Troy replied. "Let's get this done."


	6. Chapter 6

**Blackouts**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 6

Hitch didn't roll over to see who had stopped in front of his cell. Over the last week he had slowly lost interest in anything that happened around him. The weight of his guilt was taking a heavy toll and he couldn't muster the energy to fight it. The guards came and went, leaving his meal trays and then picking them up again. He seldom ate much off of them, picking at his food listlessly. Troy had ordered him to eat but he didn't have much of an appetite.

He heard the key in the lock and very briefly considered looking, but it seemed like too much effort. Deciding that it didn't matter anyway, he decided to ignore it.

"Hitch?"

Hitch twisted in his bunk, nearly falling off in his haste to face Troy. "Sarge?"

Troy frowned at his driver. The kid had lost even more weight making his eyes look large and hollow. Troy had expected to see surprise and hope reflected in those eyes but all he saw was confusion. He worried that the younger man had given up on himself.

Hitch tried to sit up and swayed unsteadily. His face paled and he closed his eyes for a moment.

Troy crossed the cell in three long strides and reached out to steady the youth. Dropping to his knees next to the bunk, he studied the face before him. "Are you all right Hitch?"

"Sure Sarge, why wouldn't I be?" Hitch looked past Troy's worried face to the other man standing by the guard. "Hi Tully."

"Hitch, have you been eating?" Troy ignored the others as he tried to get his driver's attention.

"Sure Sarge." Hitch answered in a detached voice. "Some. I don't really get hungry."

Troy searched his face, not sure how to react to the answer. He hated the haunted eyes that looked back at him. "Can you walk Hitch?"

"I'm not going anywhere Sarge." The blond answered. He looked at Tully and then turned his eyes toward Troy. "I didn't think they were going to let you visit again."

"You're getting out of here." Troy answered. "We're taking you out of here right now." Troy looked at Tully who stepped forward and handed the sergeant the bundle he was carrying. Troy unrolled the bundle to reveal the uniform the guards had taken from Hitch.

The blond shook his head unsteadily. "I can't Sarge. I killed Moffitt. I need to answer for that."

"Hitch, Moffitt's not dead. The whole thing with Moffitt was faked to fool the Germans. We wanted them to think Moffitt was dead."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better. You're trying to get me to eat more." Hitch shook his head stubbornly. "I have to stay here. You're not safe around me. What if I hurt you or Tully?"

"You won't Hitch. You didn't hurt Moffitt either." Troy protested.

"I killed him." Hitch mumbled miserably. "I didn't hurt him, I killed him."

"Hitch." Troy gripped his driver's shoulders and shook him gently. "You didn't hurt Moffitt. Now I want you to get dressed so we can get out of here."

Hitch looked from Troy to the guard still standing at the door. The guard nodded once without speaking. "I'm really getting out of here?"

"Yeah, you are." Troy assured him. "Now let me help you get dressed." Tully stepped forward and helped Troy slide the shirt on over Hitchcock's thin shoulders. Between them they finished dressing him and slid his boots on his feet. They had to lace the boots again since the laces had been removed when the guards feared a suicide attempt. The effort wore Hitch out and Tully and Troy had to support him as they finished.

"Why did I do it Sarge?" Hitch asked in a whisper. He sighed tiredly and closed his eyes.

"I think you'd better get him over to the hospital." The guard suggested.

"I have a jeep outside." Troy answered. "Once we get him outside we can drive him over there."

"Good luck Sergeant, I hope he's all right." The guard said as he stepped out of the way so Tully and Troy could help Hitch into the hall.

"Thanks." Troy nodded. They got Hitch into the jeep and he slumped against Tully's shoulder as Troy tried to support him from the rear.

Troy was sitting by the bed when Hitch woke up in the hospital. "Feeling better?"

Hitch blinked and then blinked again.

Troy smiled at him and reassured him. "You're really awake and I'm really here."

The blond looked around in confusion. "How'd you get me out Sarge? I thought I had to stay in there until the trial."

"There isn't going to be any trial Hitch."

Hitch leaned his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes. "What are they going to do Sarge? Whatever it is, I deserve it."

"Hitch, Moffitt is fine."

"No." Hitch shook his head. "You told me yourself that the British picked up his body to send it back to London."

"I lied."

Hitch opened his eyes and stared at Troy. "You lied? Then or now?"

"Then."

"Why? How do I know? I don't remember any of it."

"I know this is confusing Hitch. There is a reason for that; you were drugged."

"Drugged, by whom?"

Troy hesitated.

"Who drugged me Sarge?" Hitch asked with more passion than he had shown since his arrest.

"I did."

Hitch turned his head to see Tully standing in the aisle near the foot of his bed. His eyes widened as he spotted Moffitt standing next to Tully. "Doc?"

"Yes, it's me Hitch. I'm sorry, I had to do it." Moffitt smiled sadly.

"Do what Doc? Why did you have to do it?"

A nurse walked up with a tray of food and indicated that the three of them should leave. Troy noticed the tray and stood to take it from her.

"I need to feed the patient." The nurse protested. "He needs nourishment to get his strength back."

"We'll feed him." Troy promised, taking the tray gently from her. Turning back to the bed he placed the tray carefully in his driver's lap. "You eat and we'll talk." Troy ordered. "It's a long story but we can explain everything."

Hitch looked from one face to another and slowly nodded. Tully picked up the spoon and dipped it into the bowl of soup.

"The British command came to our command about a month ago." Troy began. "They had information that suggested that the Germans were going to try to take our base. It was believed that they were planning to take it and use it as a staging area to attack the British forces in the area. There wasn't a lot of detail, more rumor than anything."

Hitch swallowed the soup and Tully dipped the spoon into the bowl again.

"The Captain wanted to send us out to see if we could get any more details but the British nixed that idea. According to the Brits the Germans were concerned that we might accidently stumble onto something and they were planning to do something about it. They thought we were the most likely threat to their plan and they ordered us eliminated."

"That attack where I got hurt?" Hitch asked between bites.

Troy nodded. "Tully said he thought that that attack seemed more personal than normal. He was right. They were out to get us. They had orders to kill us if possible or at the very least put us out of action until after the offensive."

"But I wasn't hurt that bad." Hitch said thoughtfully. "Besides, you guys would have just gone out again with a replacement driver."

"True." Troy admitted. "Headquarters thought of that too. That's when they came up with this plan." Troy looked at the others before he continued. "They needed to convince the Germans that we weren't a threat. To do that they had to break us up. Headquarters wanted to use Moffitt as a go between for us and the local Arabs. The trouble there was that the Germans knew about his friendship with the local tribes. They figured the best way to avoid suspicion was to make them think that Moffitt was dead. Then he could set up his network of watchers without anyone the wiser. The Arabs would watch for the Germans to make their move and we would be ready."

Hitch nodded. "That makes sense."

"If he just disappeared they would have been looking for him." Troy explained. "After his death was faked the British came to take his body back with them so no one could check the morgue. It also made it easier for him to slip off of the base undetected. The only problem was, we needed someone to kill him." Troy paused at this point in the narrative.

"Why me?" Hitch asked.

Troy shrugged. "You weren't ready for full duty yet and that head injury gave headquarters the best explanation for the fight. When the doctors said they could cause the blackouts with drugs and the side effect was memory loss…"

"They figured they could blame it on the injury and I wouldn't be able to dispute it." Hitch finished for him.

"Yes." Troy answered simply.

"So I guess it worked."

"It did." Troy confirmed. "You were never meant to get hurt Hitch. This was supposed to keep you safe while the rest of us carried out our parts. Headquarters worried that the Germans might keep trying to get rid of us. We wanted to tell you but headquarters wouldn't allow it."

"I understand Sarge." Hitch replied. "So what did they have you guys doing?"

"Well, with Moffitt dead and you in jail, they still had to break us up to complete the subterfuge. They assigned Tully to the motor pool. His job was to keep an eye on everyone coming and going. He helped smuggle in more mortars and redistribute the machine guns around the perimeter of the base. The Brits had also mentioned that the Germans had some plan to put our tanks out of action, Tully was key in discovering how they went about that too. Thanks to him and some of his new friends they were able to repair the damage in time for the battle without the Germans knowing until too late."

Hitch nodded again. "The motor pool was a good place for Tully. What about you?"

"The Captain had me running messages between the various bases involved. I coordinated the different groups so that they all worked together smoothly. Moffitt got messages to me while I was off base delivering those messages. We couldn't risk the Arabs passing me messages on the base."

"I heard the battle." Hitch responded tiredly. "It sounded like a lot of armor."

"Yeah." Troy nodded. "The Germans were serious about taking the base. If the Brits hadn't warned us it would have gone badly for us."

"How did we do?"

"Pretty good." Troy replied. "Our losses were light and the last I heard Captain Beauregard's men were cleaning up the last of the resistance. A few German tanks got away but our guys were in hot pursuit. Even if they get away there won't be enough of them to cause us any trouble until they can get replacements."

"It sounds like it all worked out." Hitch noted in a tired voice. "So I guess it was worth it." He hesitated before looking up at his friends. "What about the blackouts? Will I keep having them?"

"No." Moffitt answered.

"Will I remember any of it?"

"Perhaps..eventually. Does it really matter? Nothing important happened that you would need to remember."

"Not even my attack on you Doc? Did the drugs make me do that too?"

"Hitch," Moffitt answered gently, "you didn't attack me. It never happened. I was told to fake that too."

Hitch looked confused. "Why didn't they tell me? I had a right to know Doc!"

"They wanted to be sure that your reaction was realistic." Moffitt explained. "They didn't know who they could trust. The Germans had spies everywhere."

"I thought I killed you." Hitch mumbled as the exhaustion took over. "I hated myself for it."

"I know, and I truly am sorry. If we had had a choice we would have told you. We weren't given any choice in the matter. Headquarters was adamant that it be kept from everyone who didn't have a need to know."

"I needed to know Doc!"

"I'm sorry."

Hitch hung his head and nodded. "I guess I understand Doc."

"Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Troy suggested. "I'm sure that you will have more questions but I think you need to rest for now. We'll be back later and we can talk some more."

Hitch nodded and leaned back against the pillow.

Troy rose and jerked his head at Moffitt and Tully.

"Take care Hitch, we'll be back." Moffitt told him with a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. With a worried smile he turned and followed Troy down the aisle.

Hitch opened his eyes to watch them leave. To his surprise Tully still stood by his bed. He looked up into Tully's face and saw worry there. "What is it Tully?"

Tully looked at his feet and shifted his weight uneasily. "I drugged you Hitch. Not just once, but three times. Then I lied to you about what happened."

Hitch nodded in understanding. The two privates looked at each other until the silence became uncomfortable. "So?"

"So are we all right Hitch?" Tully searched his best friend's eyes for the answer.

Hitch considered what he had been told. He understood that they had not had a choice. That didn't make it right but he understood it. As he thought about it he realized that he would have done the same thing if he had been in their place.

Looking up at Tully he smiled. "Yeah Tully, we're all right." Sighing with relief that he finally understood what had happened, Hitch closed his eyes to go to sleep. He fell asleep to the sound of Tully's voice as Tully read from a paperback that he had brought with him.


End file.
